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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27271312">No. 29 Emergency Room (Merlin)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onehelluvapilot/pseuds/Onehelluvapilot'>Onehelluvapilot</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020 [30]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Supernatural (TV) Fusion, Gen, Hospitals, Hurt Merlin (Merlin), Protective Knights (Merlin), Whumptober 2020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 02:55:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>890</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27271312</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onehelluvapilot/pseuds/Onehelluvapilot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin's in the hospital, and everyone else is worried. Actually, worried might be an understatement.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gaius &amp; Merlin (Merlin), Gwaine &amp; Merlin (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020 [30]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1952440</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>88</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>No. 29 Emergency Room (Merlin)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Percival had managed to fall asleep despite the small and uncomfortable hospital waiting room chairs. His head was tipped back against the wall, arms hanging over to the sides, and feet sticking out to trip anyone who might walk past. Not that anyone would, given that Leon and Arthur were seated on the floor. Elyan and Gwen sat on the couch holding onto each other, Gaius had a slightly padded chair, courtesy of one of the nurses, and Lancelot and Gwaine were both pacing. All the other patients in the emergency room shot looks at their group, which ranged between annoyed and concerned. Both were understandable; despite being quiet, they had quite a presence, and they looked pretty rough. Leon and Elyan had rushed from a hunt and Gwaine had still had blood on his hands until an hour ago when Lance led him gently into the bathroom to wash it off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Which one of you is Mr. Emrys' next of kin?" A nurse asked. Everyone instantly jumped to their feet. Including Percival, though he'd just woken up and seemed confused about why. Gaius, whose joints had stiffened from sitting for too long, accepted the steadying hand Leon offered him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I am," the older man replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And I'm the one who brought him in," Gwaine added, also stepping forward. "And his current emergency contact. Does that count for anything?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You two can both come on back," the nurse agreed. She led them through a door from the waiting room into a hallway lined with patient rooms on one side. Gwaine shivered, though it wasn't cold. He'd always hated hospitals.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How is Merlin?" He demanded of the nurse. "Is he out of surgery yet?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You'll have to wait for the doctor to answer your questions," she replied. "I need you to fill out some paperwork first though. Medical history, insurance, and the like." The hunter could have screamed in frustration. What did any of that matter anyway? Compared to Merlin being hurt, all of that felt so unimportant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gwaine couldn't get the feeling of blood off his hands. It had dried on his hands in the hours he waited alone in the emergency room after carrying in. When Lancelot had arrived, he'd taken one look at Gwaine before his frantic expression shifted to sympathetic and he'd insisted on making sure Gwaine washed the blood off his hands and at least had something to drink before he'd even asked for any details on what had happened. The doctors were taking care of Merlin, he explained, but no one was looking out for the man who had brought him in. Despite the care he'd taken in cleaning the dried blood from under his fingertips, though, Gwaine's hands still didn't feel clean. How could they, when the blood on them was just as metaphorical as literal?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Come, we can go see him," Gaius said abruptly and the hunter wondered how much time he'd lost. Had the older man already finished the paperwork? Gwaine had been in a bit of a daze since the doctors had loaded Merlin onto a stretcher and whisked him away. The hunter didn't do well with not having anything to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They followed the nurse down the hall and into a room where Merlin lay on the bed, hooked up to multiple machines. Gwaine supposed that's what happened when one got stabbed in the stomach and spent five hours in surgery.  He was pale, lying there in the bed unmoving. Like Snow White after eating the apple, his lips were the only spot of color on his face. At least those weren't splattered with blood like earlier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Can we touch him?" Gaius asked. Gwaine had never seen the old man look so scared. He had thought that being a physician would mean he knew what was happening and what to do and that would reassure him, but evidently not.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes. Just be careful not to disturb any tubes or wires." Gwaine pulled a chair from the corner of the room over for Gaius to sit in beside Merlin's bed and hold the young man's hand. He himself took up a position standing by his head, carefully brushing the hair back from his forehead. "Don't expect him to wake up for a few hours," the nurse warned. "He's been through a lot, and he needs rest."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Believe me, we know that," Gwaine said softly. In all honesty, Merlin always seemed to be going through a lot. This was just the last in a long string of things he needed rest from. They were going to make sure he took a long vacation after this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The doctor came by after a few minutes and explained what had happened during Merlin's surgery to repair the damage from the stab wound. Gwaine didn't listen, trusting that Gaius would know what it all meant better than him. He just stayed focused on his friend's face, which was why he was the first to notice him beginning to wake up an hour or so later. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey," he said softly, squeezing his shoulder lightly. Merlin's eyes fluttered before falling back closed. "I guess that's all we're going to get for now, huh?" He joked with Gaius. The relief he felt at the little movement, though, was mirrored on the physician's face. Merlin was going to be okay. </span>
</p>
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